Cricket: NZ bowlers given another hard lesson

8.00am

CANTERBURY, England - Just days after Graeme Hick bullied the New Zealand bowling attack, another international batsman, Robert Key, repeated the dose today to give the tourists some jitters before next week's first cricket test.

Key, whose previous test was against Zimbabwe a year ago, cracked 114 off 130 balls including 20 fours against the shadow test pace attack.

The innings spurred Kent to 296 for four at stumps on the second day of the tour match in reply to New Zealand's first innings of 409 -- 100 less than they should have scored.

In a frantic day's play, 408 runs were scored and 12 wickets fell as Michael Carberry and England gloveman Geraint Jones added an unbroken 111 in the evening sun.

New Zealand's four pacemen all fed Key enough juicy offerings for him to dominate in his three-hour knock -- one not quite as savage as Hick's 204 not out for Worcestershire on Monday.

The main interest surrounded Shane Bond, who was relegated to first change, which suggested Chris Martin was still favoured as Daryl Tuffey's test new ball partner.

Bond was attacked by Key early on but worked up some sharp pace, and caused problems after tea despite ending with none for 57 off 12 overs.

He cracked last year's England batsman Ed Smith on the helmet, then three balls later Smith offered a soft catch off Chris Cairns on seven.

Having only returned to first-class cricket from a back stress fracture for this tour, Bond still showed some rust and coach John Bracewell may well stand by his cautious approach by resting him at Lord's next week.

Tuffey and Martin both had their moments on a slow, benign surface, taking a wicket apiece, while Daniel Vettori went for 63 off 11 overs but removed Key to a sharp Brendon McCullum catch.

Bracewell said he was impressed with Martin, Cairns and Vettori, leaving Tuffey and Bond with a "could do better" report card.

"We would have liked to have bowled tidier but we kept with attacking fields," Bracewell said.

"I'm pleased with the progress of three of our bowlers, and two weren't as good as I'd hoped."

Despite his feast, Key was impressed with the touring attack.

"They look a good side without wishing to pump up my hundred. It was a good challenge out there," Key said.

"There wasn't much going on out there today. When it's nibbling around at Lord's they'll be difficult."

Resuming on 297 for two, the first 90 minutes contained more action than the entire first day -- 112 runs and eight wickets in 22.3 overs as New Zealand sprinted then fell in a heap.

Nathan Astle and Scott Styris were rollicking along, then the final eight wickets fell for 79 thanks to some loose shots and some improved Kent bowling.

Styris whacked paceman Amjad Khan for 6, 4, 4 then offered a simple catch to second slip for 32, Craig McMillan was nicked out for nought by the same bowler, and McCullum was trapped in front for four trying to sweep the left-arm spin of veteran Min Patel.

Astle and Cairns offered the batting entertainment, Astle warming up for his No 3 spot in the first test with 48, including 10 fours, before Patel had him caught down the leg side.

At that stage, four wickets had tumbled in 26 balls.

Stand-in captain Cairns smote a half-century off 33 balls, six fours and three sixes, before Patel had him caught at long-off for 54.

Patel took five of the eight wickets to fall, ending with five for 56 when he skittled Tuffey 30 minutes before lunch.

NZ V KENT SCOREBOARD


New Zealand


First innings (297-2 overnight)

M Richardson b Stiff 92

M Papps lbw b Stiff 126

N Astle c Fulton b Patel 48

S Styris c Walker b Khan 32

C McMillan c Jones b Khan 0

B McCullum lbw b Patel 4

C Cairns c Smith b Patel 54

D Vettori c Jones b Patel 9

D Tuffey b Patel 5

S Bond c Jones b Stiff 0

C Martin not out 1

Extras (8b, 9lb, 1w, 20nb) 38

Total (114.3 overs) 409

Fall: 244 (Papps), 253 (Richardson), 330 (Styris), 334 (McMillan), 339 (McCullum), 342 (Astle), 386 (Vettori), 405 (Cairns), 405 (Bond), 409 (Tuffey).

Bowling: A Sheriyar 28-8-94-0 (1w), A Khan 28-7-106-2, D Stiff 20-2-88-3 (20nb), R Ferley 16-3-48-0, M Patel 22.3-3-56-5.


Kent


First innings

D Fulton c Tuffey b Martin 9

R Key c McCullum b Vettori 114

E Smith c Tuffey b Cairns 7

M Walker c McCullum b Tuffey 32

M Carberry not out 72

G Jones not out 43

Extras (8lb, 11nb) 19

Total (for 4 wkts, 65 overs) 296

Fall: 21 (Fulton), 58 (Smith), 148 (Walker), 185 (Key).

Bowling: D Tuffey 14-2-47-1 (1nb), C Martin 13-3-51-1 (1nb), S Bond 12-0-57-0 (5nb), C Cairns 11-2-44-1 (4nb), D Vettori 11-1-63-1, S Styris 4-0-26-0.


- NZPA